Lock for handles of safes or vaults



Nov. a, 1.925. 1,560,508

f a v A; GAEIQXEL 1406K FRHANDLES OF' SAFES OR VAULTS 2 Sheets-Sheet l .Filed Jim. 2B. 3924 1,560,508 A. GABRIEL LES OF Filed aan. ze. 1924 '2 sheets-sheet 2 f fi Patented Nov. 3, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

ADAM GABRIEL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAM F. DO'ENGES, 0F SA ANTONIO, TEXAS.

LOOK FOR HANDLES 0F SAFES OR VAUIIHI'S.`

Application med January as, 1924. serial No. 688,911.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ADAM GABRIEL, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Chicago, county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Locks for I-Iandles' of Safes or Vaults, and declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

The present invention relates to that type of handle foi` actuating the shaft that throws the bolt mechanism on the doors of safes, or vaults,or for other purposes which, until the insertion of a key, is freely rotatable on the shaft and cannot actuate or turn the latter until the handle is locked or clutched to the same by the operation of the key; and has for its object to produce a construction which will oifer a maximum rel sistance to tampering by mechanical means or by heat or both.

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will herein after be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but, for afull understanding of my invention and of its objects and advantages,

reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is acentral axial section taken through one of my improved devices in position on a door; Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, some of the elements that are shown in Fig. 1 being shown in elevation; Fig. V3 is a section taken approximately on line 3 3 of Fig.` 2; Fig. 4 is a'section taken approximately on line 4 4: of Fig. 2; Fig.

5 is a Vsection taken approximately on line 5-5 of Fig.`2; Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sec! tion through the sliding socket or clutch member, only a fragment of the latter, and also a fragment of the actuating cam being shown; and Fig. 7 is an' elevation of the actuating cam and the cooperating part of the socket member or clutch.v

has an opening 5 for the insertion of akey,`

not shown, into the key hole 6 of the lock.

IVhile the casing may, of itself,-serve as al knob or handle yet, in order to secure an increased leverage, the casing may be provided with a handle member.` In the arrangement shown, there is a radially projecting handle 7 that is fixed at one end to the cylindrical wall of the casing and has a part S projecting inwardly into a socket formed in the lock adapter; thus serving to pin the adapter to the casing.

In the open end `of the casing is detachably secured a closing elementwhich may conveniently take the form of a disc 9` screwed into the casing and preferably provided witha central hub portion 1() projecting in opposite directions therefrom. Arranged between the member 9 and the lock adapter is a sleeve 11 of substantially the same diameter as the interior of the casing, the sleeve serving as a spacing `device and also as an inner wall for the casing, whereby the casing `becomes double-walled. The closing element may be locked in place by means of a lock nut 12 surrounding the outer portion of the hub and engaged with the screw threads in the casing. Headless setscrews 13,maytbe inserted in the lock nut and engage the closing element to pre vent the `lock nut from being accidentally turned. The parts are so proportioned that when they are assembled the outer end face of the hub 10 and the outer face' of the lock nut are iush with the end of the casing so as to afford a large solid bearing face against a door 14,when in use.

anism on the doorektends through the thickness of the door and through the hub 10 into the casing, the hub forming a long bearing for rotatably supporting the casing on the shaft. The shaft has thereon, beyond the inner end o-f the hub 10, an annular projecting' flange 16, between which and the -inner end of thehub is a suitableantifriction thrust bearing 17 which, in the arrangement shown, is a ball bearing. In applying the device to the door, the shaft is inserted through the latter from the front, bringing the end of the casing into engagement with the door. A suitable detachable holding device 18 which may also be a part of the bolt-actuating means is secured up'oi.. the shaft on the rear Side of the door in such away as to tendy to draw the shaft through the door and thus vbring'the" end" of the casing into clo-secontact4 withthe outer face of the door and thusavoid the presence of a crack or crevice into which a wedging instrument could 'be inserted' by the burglar or other person. f

Normally, ash'eretofore stated, thecasing isrotatable-on th'evshaft. In order to clutch the casingito the shaftsoV as to compel the two to turn together, suitably, a simple clutching mechanism controlled by the lock 2, is arrangedxwithin the space in the casing enclosed by the4 sleeve 11. The immediate clutching means consists of a thick sleeve 2() havingxa slidin'git within the sleeve l1 and being shorter'than the latter; the sleeve 20 being interlocked within the casing in such a manner that the two must rotate together. In. the arrangement shown, there are fixed` to the lock adapter a plurality of long dowel pins 2l arranged.- parallel with the aXis of the shaft. l5` andv extending lengthwise through; the Wall of the sleeve 2O.v These dowel pins therefore serve both asl interlocks and: as `guides for the sleeve. The sleeve 20 has an internal diameter preferably such that it will fit easily overthe inner portion. of the hub 10, and itis preferably of such lengthA thatA when it is moved as far as it will. go towardthe right,.as viewed in Fig. 1. it still slightly overlaps thehub. VConsequently, even. though the cylindrical wall-of the casingV and the sleeve l1 should be perforated,A the sleeve 20 would still form a barrier to prevent access to the shaft. The sleeve 20has at abouty the middle a partition122; extending transversely'` ofthe same. This partition has at the center a noncircular openingn 23 registering with. a nonf circular part 24. on the inner end of the shaft; the opening; 23 and the'part 24 of the shaft beingishown' assquaref. The extreme inner end' of: the shaftis preferably'made round, asindicated. at 25; the; parts `being so proportioned thaty when; the sleeve 20 is in. what may be termed its idle position, as shown-inzligs land 2, thesocketf23-is clear of theY square. portion. of. the shaft'but still surrounds the round portion 25. It will be seen that when the parts are in the positions shown in Figs. l and 2, the casing is free to rotate on the shaft and therefore it is impossible, through turning the casing or handle, to operate the shaft whereas, when the sleeve 2O is moved toward the left asfar as it will go, it becomes a socket wrench interlocked with the shaft and, since it is also interlocked with the casing, the turning of. the casing or handle will produce a corresponding turning movement of the shaft.

Movement of the wrench member 2O from its idle position toward its Working position is effected in the arrangement shown by means of springs'26, arranged in sockets opening out through the inner or rearface of.l the lock adapter 4, these springs being constantly under pressure so that they always tend to move the wrench member into its working position andv hold it there. The wrench member is moved into and'positively locked in its idle position by suitable wedging or cam means actuated by the lock cylinder 3. The immediate cam or wedging meansrconsists of an inwardly directed'annular part 27 on the right hand' end of the wrench member as viewed in Figs. 1 andl 2. For convenience in manufacture, the part 27 is preferably made iny the form: of a lateral projection from a circular plate or disc` 28 engaged with the end of the sleeve' 20 and, infact, forming thel effective end of the sleeve; thev part 27 fitting into the in terior'of the sleeve. There is also a rotatable cam or wedge device 29, arranged Within the socket wrench made between the partition 22 andthe part 27. Either or both of the elements- 27 and 29 may have cam or wedging faces, each having wedging face, in the arrangement shown, in order to make the pitch less than would be necessary if there were only one inclined face. There is a thrust bearing 30, conveniently aballV bearing, between the inner endy faceof the shaft 151 andl the member 29: The member `29 is connected to the cylinder of the lock by being loosely engagedv upon: a square end 3l ofra fitting or cap 32 set upon and fastened to thek projecting end? of the lock cylinder by a pinf passing through the member 32 and the lock cylinder' transversely'ofthe axis ofthe latter. By leavingthe'cam or wedging member 29'Y loose on the vfitting 32, a key by meansof which the'lock cylinder'is turned, iny operating the device is relieved from all stresses except those resulting from the rotation of= the cam or wedging member, because saidv member can adjust itself slightly, as thenecessity arises, to'insure that it will at all timesy be properly seated against the thrust: bea-ring 30.

I have shown a headed screwl at the inner end of the/fitting`32,ibut the purpose of this screw is simply to form a centering device for the ball retainer of the thrust bearing 30.

It will thus be seen that I have produced a simple and novel handle device which may be locked to a shaft or spindle for turning the same or which maybe left loose on the shaft or spindle to prevent the latter from being operated.l It will also be seen that access to the shaft is made so difficult that at least three separate cylin-drical walls must be broken down before the end of the shaft outside of the door can be reached, and therefore my improved device is fully as burglar-proof as the ordinary safe door itself.

While I have illustrated and described with particularity only a single preferred form of my invention, I do not desire to be limited to the exact details thus illustrated and described; but intend to cover all forms and arrangements that come within the definitions of my invention constituting the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a casing, 'a shaft extending through a wall of the casing, said wall having an inwardly-directed hub surrounding said shaft, the shaft having at the inner end beyond the hub a noncircular portion, a member housed in said casing and interlocked therewith so as to be held against rotation therein and be free to slide relatively thereto between a working and an idle position in the direction of the length of said shaft, said member having an annulaipart that surrounds the said hub in all positions of said member and a part fitting upon said noncircular part of the shaft only in the working position of said member, and key-controlled means for moving said member between its said positions.

2. In combination, a casing, a shaft extending into the casing, a member housed in the casing and interlocked with the same so as to be held against rotation relatively to the casing and be free to move in the casing in the direction of the length of the shaft between a working position and an idle position, said member and said shaft having parts adapted to couple them together when said member is in its working position and permit the casing and said member to turn on the shaft when said member is in the idle position, spring means tending to move said member into its workn ing position, and key-controlled mechanism for moving said member into and locking it in its idle position.

3. In combination, a cup-shaped casing, lock mechanism arranged in the closed end of the casing, said casing having a key opening in the vicinity of said mechanism, a closing element lying wholly within and detachably secured in the open .8nd of said casing, a shaft extending through and rotatable in said closing element, a clutch de vice arranged between. the inner end of said shaft and said lock mechanism and adapted to lock the shaft to the casingso as to be rotatable therewith or permit the casing` to rotate on the shaft.

4. In combination, a cup-shaped casing, lock mechanism arranged in the closed end of the casing, said casing having a key opening in the vicinity of said mechanism, a closing element detachably secured in the open end of said casing, a shaft extending through and rotatable in said closing element, said shaft having an annular enlargement thereon on the inner side of said closing element, an antifriction thrust bearing between said enlargement and the inner face of said closing element, and means within the casing and controlled by said lock mechanism for either clutching the casing to the shaft so as to be rotatable therewith or leave the casing free to rotate on the shaft.

5. In combination, a cup-shaped casing, lock mechanism arranged in the closed end of the casing, said casing having a key opening in the vicinity of said mechanism, a closing element detachably secured in the open end of said casing, a shaft extending through and rotatable in said closing element, a spacing sleeve substantially filling the casing and abutting at its ends respectively against said closing element and a part rigid with the casing, and means located within the sleeve and controlled by said lock mechanism for alternately clutching the casing to the shaft so as to prevent relative rotation between the same and per mitting the casing to rotate freely on the shaft.

6. In combination, a casing, a shaft extending into said casing, a lock mechanism Within the casing having a rotatable device aligned with said shaft, a thrust bearing between said device and the inner end of said shaft, and clutch mechanism arranged within the casing and controlled by said device in order alternately to lock said cas ing to the shaft for rotation therewith and leave the casing free to rotate on the shaft.

7. In combination, a cup-shaped casing, a lock adapter fixed within the closed end of the casing, a closing element detachably arranged within the open end of the casing and having an inwardly-directed hub, a

shaft extending into the casing through the distance along said guides, said sleeve-likev part extending at one end over and around said hub,` a look mounted in said adapter, means controlled by said look for moving said sleeve-like part along said guides between a working` position and an idle position, and7 the inner end of said shaft and said sleeve-like part having cooperating elutch'elements attached to lock the casing to the shaft for rotation therewith in said. 10 Working position and leave the casing free to rotate on the shaft in said idle position.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specilioation.

ADAM GA'enn 

